Town Square

The GOP is the problem

Original post made
on May 14, 2012

In this week's [Web Link Raucous Caucus], educator and recruiter Tom Cushing discusses "It's Even Worse Than It Looks." The book, by Norm Ornstein and Thomas Mann, puts blame for the current policy morass in Washington at the feet of the Republican party.

No, the GOP is not the problem rather the entire political make up is the problem. The issues facing all of us today are the direct results of years and years of bad polices enacted in Washington D.C. and American's sitting on their rear ends and allowing it to all happen. Our Representative have one goal in mind...getting re-elected and getting rich while serving. You cannot blame one group, one person or just a point in time when one party had control. It has been years and years of bad laws, over spending and a general lack of self discipline by both our government both State and Federal and the American people. It is now time to pay for past sins and the pill is going to be quite bitter.

Posted by Concerned Citizen
a resident of Danville
on May 14, 2012 at 8:19 am

Socialism and communism don't work. For those ignorant folks who have never been to a socialist or communist country, this far exceeds your understanding of the world. It is easy to describe a utopia that doesn't exist. One only has to walk through the logic of socialism to understand its flaws. No one washes their rental car. Thanksgiving isn't about sharing. Read the book "Plymouth." Lincoln didn't free the slaves. Re-writing history is easy because those that write it didn't have to defend the liberties of the fallen American soldier who has died for your freedoms.

We use terms like socialism and communism as though they're not evil. What does it mean to be an American anymore? I know what it means to be a Democrat - that you're no longer responsible for your decisions; that the almighty government will take care of you, illegal aliens have the same rights as you, and France will be a Muslim country in 10 years... I'm looking forward to the day the Democratic party supports NAMBLA, terrorists, and serial killers because they, too, have rights... A lot more than the illegal aliens that we're trying to protect all the time...

Posted by Concerned Citizen
a resident of Danville
on May 14, 2012 at 9:37 am

One thing science has shown is that Republicans are less educated and have lower IQs. As proof, they voted for Sarah Palin, the biggest dimwit to surface in a very long time. Now they are going to vote for a man who is a member of a religious cult, that believes that the United States reports to their god. It was not until the United States Supreme Court issued their Decision on May 19, 1890 that allowed the US Federal Government to seize the Mormon Churches assets that resulted in the then current Mormon President, Prophet, Seer, Revelator to issue what has become known as the "Woodruff Manifesto." renouncing the churches official policy of Polygamy. However the church to this day has not removed DC 132, which established polygamy by their founder Joseph Smith, from their scripture. This decision resulted in a fracture in the church, with many believers and "cohabs" as the polygamists were called, fleeing to Mexico and Canada. Thus is the history of Mitt Romney's great grand parents. Polygamists.

Go for it Republicans, vote for the mormon cultists and their sacred underwear. Don't believe this, look it up your self.

To the posting above: really? the Republicans are SCIENTIFICALLY SHOWN to be less educated and have lower IQ's? Prove it and put your money where your mouth is. I would welcome a copy of the Scientific Journal where you got your information.

I happen to have a doctorate degree and have a MENSA IQ, if you even know what that means. How about YOU????? My entire family are educated with post grad degrees, and they are no dummies. That's why they happen to know that when a few people support all of the freeloading fair share wannabes, that system is non sustainable.

It so happens that regardless of one's religious beliefs, which is what you are using as the crux of our economic woes, to run a country requires business savvy. But in your words, no Republican has the ability to do that because science has proven it.

Are you happy with the Democrats "changes" so far? Yes moving "forward" alright, to becoming a third world country where we can all share the standard of living with the lowest common denominator.

I agree with the comment regarding republicans. Of course there are some Mensa IQ, PHD wielding zombies out there who think republicans are thinkers, when actually stinkers. Did the JP Morgan $2B debacle come from democrats this go around? No, it came from republican loopholes that their bought off Republican cronies managed to add to a decent law to regulate these crooked banks by preventing them from gambling their depositors cash to enrich their own personal pockets. And with FDIC insurance behind them, if they had gone bankrupt, at least the depositors would have gotten some money back. These white collar welfare crooks are using FDIC as a backstop to creating their own career wealth.

What is so stupid is the lack of any depth in thinking that leads one to believe we need a business man to fix government. No, that is a repeated slogan, showing very limited ability to think for oneself, to have an original thought. Or how about this one... "We don't need a second term for the Muslim president that wasn't born in the US." All republican operative lies and slogans.

Since when was the government ever run as a business. There is no such thing as "three branches of a corporation" with their own "checks and balances", with the president voted on by the employees, and with laws and budgets passed by committees, with a separate judiciary by which management and employees to air their grievances. Actually virtually every business is singular in its purpose and structure. In fact what happens is the government brings in all of these incredibly successful business people to craft good laws and then a different set of incredibly succesful business people create loopholes and then the republicans pretend we are going to become a socialist state (more sloganeering". Go ahead, vote for another knuckle head with a couple of Cadiallacs and Race Track owner friends, with sacred underwear and descendants of a polygamist sect and family. I love the fact republicans have to avert their eyes when they cast their ballots. If you are a WoMENSA PHD, what mental gyrations did you go through to pretend that Sarah Palin had any intelligence. And according to Rick Santorum, with your advanced degrees, you must be at least a triple snob, one for going to college, two for the Masters and three for the Piled High and Deep. It might be a good idea for people to stop showing their elitists leaning, such as PHD and MENSA tags, and start thinking on their own for once.

Posted by C. R. Mudgeon
a resident of Danville
on May 14, 2012 at 12:07 pm

Oh those nasty Republicans, who are managing to control things from one half of Congress, completely thwarting the wonderful intentions of the other half of Congress, and the President! How dare they!

Perhaps if the President, and the Senate majority leadership, would propose serious ideas, they would be better received in the House. But Obama's primary interest is in creating divisive red herring issues that he can campaign with, rather than workable solutions.

Since he can't campaign on his record, our fearless leader has to concoct one distraction after another, to keep the friendly media and the public's mind off of the economy. But in the end, Bill Clinton's old mantra of "It's the economy, stupid!" will prove true, much to the detriment of his party.

Posted by Muddie Curr
a resident of Blackhawk
on May 14, 2012 at 12:22 pm

I am Republican, and there is no way I will vote for a Mormon. They slaughtered my Arkansas ancestors at Mountain Meadow. And their divine covenants still contain the polygamy clause. There was even a TV series on HBO on polygamy. Wake up, it is still going on. Rulon and Warren Jeffs? Hello.... Take off your "Party Blinders" and see Mitt for what he is. A tool of the LDS leadership in Salt Lake City. I know Jesus for his peaceful ways, not like the murderous band led by Bringham Young in their early days.

Posted by Pareto's 20%-er
a resident of Danville
on May 14, 2012 at 12:59 pm

Squarely focus your attack on things that have no meaning in this election. Forget that Harry Reid is Mormon. Forget that Barack Obama was originally Muslim. BTW- Muslims believe in polygamy. When you see a man walking with three women at the mall, he's married to these women. We should also recall Reverend White and his bigotry of white America  or for that matter, America in general. Bill Heirs is an American hero for bombing a police station. How can we allow somebody to bully another when he was 17 years old to become the President of the United States some 50 years later? It's not like he picked on a little black girl… unlike Obama… Just read his memoirs so you understand. Bigotry comes in all forms. We must destroy all religions so the Founding Fathers principles that our rights are given by our Creator can finally be dismissed and all of our rights can be dictated by our King. Down with the Mormons… Praise Allah!... May Michelle Obama finally be proud of our country!... And as you ponder what it means to be American this Fourth of July, ask yourself: "Where are the fireworks? Where is the pageantry for the last free country on Earth?" Oh, yeah… I forgot… Those in charge are ashamed of America and we should all be. Just look at our society. We have a socialist president who comments on every racial incident… "If I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon…" These marks are exactly what contribute to the divide in America. Cheers to the King! May your rule of the meek be as historical as the 2008 election where America lost its freedom…

WOw! re Dannie....Why is that the Dems are so eager to mud sling, call people names, spew , rant and rave if someone doesn't agree with their views? And, double speak and use evasive tactics to avoid a direct answer a simple question......where is the Scientific Proof Dannie, where is it? This coming from an unthinking PHD wielding Zombie.

As for Paerto's 20% ers, right on the button. Straight to the point without any name calling. Gosh, you must be a Zombie as well.

No single party has a monopoly on corruption! Once in office, our elected officials seem to forget who they represent and behave as though they are above the law of the land, the Constitution. They set up their own kingdoms and devote themselves to the maintenance of the special privileges they have voted for themselves. Yet, while living large on the backs of the American taxpayers, they say they would like to "redistribute our wealth", not their wealth, of course, because they have protected themselves.
Well, our wealth has been sacrificed to the god of big government, to the tune of $16 trillion. And President Obama seems determined to make that figure even larger.
Equally appalling is the loss of liberty that is occurring at an alarming rate: Jan 2012: NDAA : a law which says any American citizen can be detained indefinitely, without a trial. Can any one say KGB? Or how about the law before Congress now: if the IRS only says without proof that you owe $150,000 in back taxes you can be stripped of your passport...also without a trial. The United Nations says we use too many resources, so they would like to take control of our country. (See Agenda 21) President Clinton bought into that idea, and Obama wants to see it through. This administration and its czars (once again,are we living in Russia?) are using "global warming" to ration resources and inflate the cost of energy, to tax businesses out of America, to control the use of private property through government "planning" commissions, and much more.
The very worst is that this nation has stood by in relative silence while the moral values upon which our nation was founded are slipping away. 54 MILLION abortions since 1974, all references to God being removed from as many places as possible; about 4% of our population is homosexual, yet the rest of us are being forced to embrace their lifestyle and have it taught to our children in public schools. But any opposition to these things is viewed as "hate speech". It's hard to guess what will take our country down first...
Everyone has to wake up and vote the corruption out, Democrat and Republican, before it's too late!!!

Posted by Less Rights & More Laws!
a resident of Danville
on May 14, 2012 at 5:53 pm

Good for you MO...... You must be one of those "Republicans that are less educated and have lower IQs"

The problem you have is..... YOU ARE USING FACTS!!!

THAT DOESN'T WORK!

Remember in a National poll Obama speaks to women voters 55%-39%.... So start by removing all logic from your agreement, eliminate reason, all responsibility, and you will get the woman vote.

Repeat the above with arrogance and you will get the libs, gays and socialists!

To convert the Dems just tell them it is "Fair" no matter what the cause!
Single out group to persecute... the rich... Mormon..... Jews?!?!!

Starting to sound A LOT like history.... hope they don't detain you under the new Jan 2012 NDAA stating American citizen can be detained indefinitely, without a trial by the KING Obama! Be careful you might make Obama's EVIL PEOPLE LIST!!!!! He already has 8 or 9 people on the list... we might be next

We need to get rid of "In God We Trust" from our money as well as the reference to God in the Pledge of Allegiance. I don't trust "God", because s/he is a complete fabrication of man, and most likely a homosexual or autoeroticist because there is only one.
I trust the "People"
And all I can say is thank "the people" for our constitution, so we are not like the crazy Islamist nations.
Oh and I forgot, the Mormons and many conservative Christian churches view women as inferior to men. No wonder why Republicans are waging a war on women. They hang out thinking that since Jesus was male, that makes them better than women. Get religion out of government, or it will become time to have government in religion. Like time to tax these wealth generating donation schemes.

Posted by Less Rights & More Laws!
a resident of Diablo
on May 14, 2012 at 7:56 pm

wow Dannie... you rock!! Please remember to vote early and often!

Good for California and Jerry Brown! $16 billion!! The uneducated, self-absorbed, and stupid will be punished for their choice in electing him. As Jerry Brown cuts spending on education, police, and fire while increasing taxes, all he will have effectively done for you is have folks like me eliminate our housekeeper, gardener, pest control (poor Orkin guy), and nanny…

The schools in the poorer areas (or those who elected him) will get hit the hardest, but us "rich... sorry $250k-ers" will continue to send our children to the best schools; we will continue to pay for the higher priced gas; my wife will continue to stay home and care for my children.

You only have your vote and you're letting it be stolen by communists and atheists (Thanks Dannie). They will always promise prosperity but deliver poverty - just look at Oakland. Here's to electing Jerry Brown! Good for you! I hope it keeps you warm at night, cool in summer, and food on your plate. I hear food stamps are wonderful this time of year.

Be proud… For those of you who will respond with criticism  envy is a deadly sin. If you stop envying others, then maybe you would have a chance to succeed on your own. Punishing others for what you envy, dream about, and have failed to achieve is simply your failure. If you want to know whose fault it is, find a mirror!

Sadly Dannie you are and always be a sheep, Pareto's 80%, a leech on society...... and if war ever breaks out, food. Remember, there are no atheists in a foxhole.

Posted by just the facts
a resident of Diablo
on May 15, 2012 at 8:28 am

TO all the Mormon-bashers that seek to establish a religious qualification for the presidency: I am willing to bet that many of you, paradoxically, support gay marriage. Guess what, supporters, if the U.S. Supreme Court finds that gay marriage can not be prohibited by the states due to the equal protection clause of the U. S. constitution, the polygamy you deride will in all likelihood become legal for exactly the same equal protection clause reason (note that Cody and the five wives of the reality TV show "Sister Wives" are publically supporting gay marriage). After all, most of the world embraces the right to polygamy, and as many commenters above have noted, Obama and his merry band of socialists don't believe in Amercian exceptionalism. America should be just like the impoverished third world in every respect.

Posted by just the facts
a resident of Diablo
on May 15, 2012 at 8:37 am

To Tom Cushing: does the book you review also lay the blame for the nightmare that is California on "the Republicans", that evil monolith? Hmm, California is and has been since I moved here many years ago squarely in the control of the Democrats. Because of their rampant, out- of- control spending policies, all that is left for California's politicians to do is to rearrange the deck chairs on this sinking ship of state.

"There are no atheists in Foxholes" Wanna bet!? Are you telling us we need to believe in God, that we need to be religious? For arguments sake, I will grant you that... Which then leads to you granting my position as it relates to you... YOU need to believe and follow Warren Jeffs brand of religion. Or how about YOU need to believe in Tom Cruises choice of cult. Or YOU need to believe in Islam.
YOU get the point.
Nobody needs to practice religion, let alone the government telling us that we need to trust in God. In fact, look up the history of how "God" came to be on our currency. And since nobody has actually talked to god or seen him/her, we can define God however we want. We can make up... that's right make up whatever suits our fancy and purposes.

What a dumb comment... There are no atheists in foxholes. Actually there are men and sometimes women in foxholes; scared, fearful, hopeful of getting out alive, who for the sake of comfort use the concept of God to pull them through. Because if there were a god, they would not be in a foxhole! But if you are Mitt, you would be using God as an excuse for Vietnam era deferments.

To JTF/Diablo: no, the book is focused solely on DC politics, and not to poop everybody's party on this second thread, too, but it lays blame for the POLICY MORASS in Washington directly at the door of the GOP.

Sacramento has its own set of problems and causes, many of which have been the Dems' doing, but at least it's not also saddled with a minority party whose goal is not to govern, but to obstruct governance.

People, people..... its way too much diatribe. The issue is very simple. Do you want to live under a Socialist regime that is doomed to fail (unless you choose to ignore history) or do you want to live in a nation whose constitution guarantees the right to succeed as well as to fail. Obama is an aberration, he is way to the left of liberal and destructive of everything this country has been built upon.

Posted by Cap T. Alist
a resident of Alamo
on May 15, 2012 at 10:18 am

Wow, Here go the non-thinking sloganeers again!!!

If Obama is such a socialist than why did he not take over the entire banking and financial system when it collapsed. Ignorant Republicans, get a clue, the entire United States financial system was going to collapse like a house of cards. Anyone that does not believe this is a moron. THe system and our economy was rescued by the government. Wake up to that fact. THE ENTIRE FINANCIAL SYSTEM WAS COLLAPING!!!

So did Obama use this as an opportunity to socialize the financial industry. As far as I can tell no.

Did Obama squash the space start-ups that are now launching rockets into space, all to protect the socialist NASA department? As far as I can tell, no.

Has Obama done anything to socialize the Venture Capital business" Or is Facebook about to launch on Wall Street?

Did Obama socialize the oil business after the Gulf of Mexico spill? No.

Did Obama socialize the auto industry after the financial collapse severely impacted the auto companies consumer financing arms, causing the auto industry to the brink? No, his bailouts rescued millions of jobs.

Did Obama socialize medicine? No as far as I can tell Doctor's, hosipitals and nurses work for themselves and not the government. And he created insurance marketplaces, competitive capitalistic exchanges by which uninsured or independent contractors and small business owners can actually get better rates, and not be ripped off by the insurance companies that coddle the large companies with discount rate plans because they can sign up thousands with the ink on the page.

Did Obama socialize the music distribution business, the construction business, architecture, engineering, movie and TV? Not as far as I can tell. How about the travel business? Airline business? Not those. How about the huge retail, trucking and distribution businesses? Nope

So why are close minded, republican blinded branded individuals so quick to pull out the socialism slogan. If they actually had a brain cell, they would realize they are just parroting the talking mouths on TV, lemmings you could say.

Is it socialism to require insurance companies to cover their customers who pay their bills and then get sick. Is it socialism to require insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions, when they were rampantly using that clause to deny peoples legitimate claims for non-related illnesses. That is socialism? Actually it is consumer protection, protection for Rep and Dem's alike.

Posted by concerned citizen
a resident of Danville
on May 15, 2012 at 11:58 am

Yes, he told us in advance what he planned to do. Few were listening.

The following is a narrative taken from a 2008 Sunday morning televised "Meet The Press'.

From Sunday's 07 Sept. 2008 11:48:04 EST, Televised "Meet the Press" THE THEN Senator Obama was asked about his stance on the American Flag.

General Bill Gann' USAF (ret.) asked Obama to explain WHY he doesn't follow protocol when the National Anthem is played.

The General stated to Obama that according to the United States Code, Title 36, Chapter 10, Sec. 171...

During rendition of the national anthem, when the flag is displayed, all present (except those in uniform) are expected to stand at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart. Or, at the very least, "Stand and Face It".

NOW GET THIS !!

'Senator �Obama replied:

"As I've said about the flag pin, I don't want to be perceived as taking sides". "There are a lot of people in the world to whom the American flag is a symbol of oppression.." "The anthem itself conveys a war-like message. You know, the bombs bursting in air and all that sort of thing."

(ARE YOU READY FOR THIS???)

Obama continued: "The National Anthem should be 'swapped' for something less parochial and less bellicose. I like the song 'I'd Like To Teach the World To Sing'. If that were our anthem, then, I might salute it. In my opinion, we should consider reinventing our National Anthem as well as 'redesign' our Flag to better offer our enemies hope and love. It's my intention, if elected, to disarm America to the level of acceptance to our Middle East Brethren. If we, as a Nation of warring people, conduct ourselves like the nations of Islam, where peace prevails - - - perhaps a state or period of mutual accord could exist between our governments ......"

When I become President, I will seek a pact of agreement to end hostilities between those who have been at war or in a state of enmity, and a freedom from disquieting oppressive thoughts. We as a Nation, have placed upon the nations of Islam, an unfair injustice which is WHY my wife disrespects the Flag and she and I have attended several flag burning ceremonies in the past".

"Of course now, I have found myself about to become the President of the United States and I have put my hatred aside. I will use my power to bring CHANGE to this Nation, and offer the people a new path. My wife and I look forward to becoming our Country's First black Family. Indeed, CHANGE is about to overwhelm the United States of America "

It is TIME TO RUMBLE. Let's all meet at the SRV High School Athletic Field, Split into two groups. Democrats on one end, Republicans on the other. And let's have at it. As verbally savage as you would like, but no physical assaults, pure verbal insult and abuse, heaped about and on all of us... Then, after the rubber pellets settle, let's celebrate that we actually live in a really beautiful area and mingle respectfully among each other, as friends and acquaintances and neighbors.
Compromise is a beautiful thing. We do it every day with our kids, our spouses, at work. Let's get Washington working again. It is one place, not two parties.

Concerned Citizen, please leave religion out of the equation, unless you are convinced that LDS theology will become the law of the land. That type of thinking will only net us 4 more years of our inexorable shift to the left. First Greece, then California then the rest of our country.

Posted by Axe Me a Question
a resident of Danville
on May 15, 2012 at 10:14 pm

Tommy boy doesn't mention the fact that Jerry Brown, a Democrat, was very much against Prop 13 back in the day; However, after Prop 13 was voted in, Brown became one of the biggest supporters of this measure. So please Mr. Cushing, stop blaming the GOP for all of our financial woes.

How much is enough? Think people not companies... The little guy like me. How much is enough? Have you ever looked at all of your bills and started adding up the taxes you pay? Now look at the national debt; how much of that number do you plan to personally? The debt is our debt, not the Government. Remember "We the People"

might want to get your check book out... this is going to hurt. Unless you plan on saying... let the rich pay for it!!

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